


Fake Names

by thewiredept



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: (they're aliases not ocs), Aliases, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Anxiety, Crushes, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Killing Game Was A Virtual Reality Simulation (Dangan Ronpa), Little Shop of Horrors References, Misunderstandings, Pining, Reconciliation, Regret, Spoilers, Tsumugi was an actress, Yearning, full of little headcanons, kaemugi is neat, not gonna talk much about the killing game, not self projecting at all, the rest did not know, will talk plenty about the sappy sapphics tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:39:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27770125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewiredept/pseuds/thewiredept
Summary: [DRV3 SPOILERS]It was there in the post-game pamphlet that Tsumugi and other PROJECT: TEAM DANGANRONPA staff got after the end of every simulation- "Avoid interactions with other, non-TEAM cast members."And when the company dissolves after season 53, she does what she does best- she tries to become someone else, someone different- someone normal.Running into someone she wasn't supposed to- someone who she truly missed, but is sure despises the girl named Tsumugi- wasn't part of her plan.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Shirogane Tsumugi
Comments: 17
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

To anyone else, she was probably just an unassuming girl at a quiet corner cafe. Tsumugi recognized her instantly.

She was sitting at the piano, fingers resting but still on the keys. Tsumugi couldn't see her face from where she sat, but she seemed to be looking at the keys, blonde hairs longer than before hanging down messily around her.   
_Well, not quite blonde_ , the former cosplayer mused- the audition tapes shown in the game were... _embellished_ , to say the least. The would-be protagonist was a mousy brown before the game, and so the footage was edited accordingly.   
"Guess she's not the only one who turned to dyes," she muttered aloud without thinking, then looked around self-consciously, shorter brown curls- once long and cerulean- bouncing as she did. There was hardly anyone else in the shop- besides the scruffy-haired barista, who was occupied with dishes behind the counter, and a single man, stirring his cup silently.

A sudden, unsure tinkle of the keys regained her attention, and she looked back to see her, hands raised from the piano as if she'd been shocked. Gently, waveringly, she lowered them back onto the keys, and began to play. The song was soft, but played messily, full of uneven tempos and quickly corrected incorrect notes; Tsumugi wondered if the pianist was still getting used to her own body, even a whole year after they'd returned from the program.  
She couldn't help but stare. Even when the barista came over, asking if things were ok, if she wanted anything else, she kept her focus on her former 'classmate'. Even the sound of the other customer leaving, and the bells on the door jingling as they did, didn't remove her focus on her- so close, yet feeling so, so far.  
She finished playing, and made a light huff, examining her hands. The barista went and spoke to her, same as he had with Tsumugi, and the once-virtuoso turned towards him, affirming she was all good. 

She looked over. Tsumugi had forgotten to stop staring. 

Hastily, the bespectacled girl clasped her hands on her lukewarm cup, staring down at it with pangs of apprehension rising in her chest. Protocol- well, the old protocol of the now near fully dissolved Project Team DR- dictated she avoid contact with any of the cast, for her own safety. At least once had members of the past games she'd taken part in sworn they'd have her head; though, in fairness to them, that'd been _mostly_ only before they'd gone into the therapy phase of recove- "Hello?"  
Way too quickly, Tsumugi looked up. 

And there she was. 

Even a year, and an embellished fictional world later, she hadn't changed much. Despite the absence of the filters, the photoshop, the glitz and effects, she still looked like the Ultimate Pianist she'd remembered. Infinitely more... _real_ , but still the same girl she'd once encountered in the overgrown hallway what felt like eons ago. Wearing the same, curious expression she'd had once she'd finally given her her attention.  
Tsumugi swallowed, trying her best to mask the spikes of anxiety flowing into her fingertips.   


"Um. Hi..?" _Did she recognize her?_ She thought the color contacts, hair, and glasses color change would have been enough, given a few years- there's no way she didn't learn about the rest of the rest of the sh-  
"Hi! Sorry if I'm bugging you," she beamed, cutting Tsumugi's thoughts short. "I just wanted to ask if you were listening to me play," she explained, hand splayed to the side in a pose too, too familiar.  
Tsumugi blinked. _Oh._ She didn't see anything indicating anger or familiarity in her eyes, so slowly, carefully, Tsumugi responded.  


"I... was, yes."  


"Great! I didn't mean to put you on the spot like this, but, I was wondering... what you thought of it."  


"Uh..." Tsumugi paused. _This used to be so easy,_ she thought to herself, as she tried to parse together a response. "Well... that sounded like it was a complicated piece. And even though you had a... few slips, I could still understand the piece. ...Sorry, I'm not that much of a critic."  


"Oh! So, do you know the tune?"  


"Oh, no. I mean... maybe. I'm not sure. I... think it sounds familiar."  
The pianist paused, closing her eyes and nodding, appearing to think to herself. Tsumugi hoped she wasn't attuned to the sound of her own heartbeat, pulsing like a drum in her flushed ears.  


"Thank you for being honest," she nodded "miss..?"  


"Uh, Tsumire," she lied, before cursing herself for what felt like plainly obvious alias. Regardless, the pianist simply nodded, returning a smile- "Tsumire" couldn't tell if she'd clued in on it or not.   


"A pretty name for a pretty girl," she stated boldly, and Tsumire's ears flushed even more. "I'm Kamatsu," she continued, "nice to meet you! Do you come to this place often?"  


"N-nice to meet you, too." Nothing in 'Kamatsu's' tone or expression showed any sign of recognition- besides, she couldn't imagine she'd be this radiant if she did recognize her. She had to wonder if 'Kamatsu' made her new name herself, though- it felt just as obvious a cover as her own, even if she didn't have as much to hide from than the blonde smiling at her. "And... not really. Just a few times."  


"Ah, I see. I was just curious!" she laughed, reaching behind and rubbing her neck. Tsumire swallowed down the rising flush in her ears, unsure of what to say.  


"Anyways, I didn't want to keep you for long, I was just about to go," she continued, still smiling. "You just have this... I don't know, aura? That probably sounds weird, but I just felt like I really needed to talk to you."  


"Oh, I'm no-one special," Tsumire said, too fast- before slowing down to regain her composure, "I'm just some random girl here drinking her coffee... y'know?"  


"That might be true," she conceded, crossing her arms for a moment, "...but still! I'd love to have you listen to me play again, if I see you again. I mean, are you ok with that?"  


"Um... sure." Tsumire wasn't sure if she said it because she was speaking too fast, or because she wanted to- regardless, the pianist gave a beaming smile, and the once blue-haired brunette felt herself melt.  


"Great! Well, I'll see you later!" Kamatsu gave one more smile, and short wave, before proceeding to give the barista her bill.  
  
It was only once the pianist left, the bells on the door shaking and the snap shut of the door, that Tsumire receded- and Tsumugi felt her shoulders finally slack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean to cut off the chapter like that, but I ran out of steam after a bit and figured I should come back to it instead of padding out the end  
> Or maybe that's just a plain excuse not to write a conclusion?
> 
> Anyways also hello hi this is my first real fic in maybe five years so I hope it's enjoyable so far  
> I've also never used AO3 before now so if things look wack then I hope it doesn't detract from your reading experience ;w;  
> (just figured out how formatting works lol)


	2. Chapter 2

The shop was busier the next morning, full of a warm, conversational glow compared to the overcast, sparsely populated cafe from the day before. Tsumugi took the same booth as she had yesterday, pulling the cup she'd only just gotten towards her like a lifeline. She hadn't slept well last night- the encounter from yesterday swirling around her brain like the plain, unsweetened coffee in her cup.

Saying she'd missed the pianist was... _tricky_. One one hand, she knew that the former ultimate had every reason to despise her, even if the games were only 'real' in the program- especially if her intentions during the game held true now; _double_ especially if she'd seen the rest of the show, after they'd all come to. She hadn't been with the rest, of course- not since she'd awoken from one season to see one of the cast slamming on the door to her pod, as if to kill their 'blackened' for real- so she hadn't even seen her properly since they'd been on the show together.  


_On the other hand..._  


Tsumugi sighed lightly into her cup. It was easier to handle the way she felt when she was in a world where she wasn't the one who chose her personality.  
The barista- the same, scruffy-haired tender from yesterday- came by the table, glasses fogged from the steaming mugs he'd been carrying. He paused, gingerly setting down a glass of water on her table. 

"Did you want anything else?" he asked, thumbing the notepad in his apron.  
"I'm fine," she responded, though she wasn't all there, eyes trained across the room.  
The waiter absentmindedly pulled a towel out of the apron, wiping his hands.   
"I don't mean to pry, but, are you waiting for someone?"  


That brought her back a bit. She looked up the waiter, who stared back quietly, the steam on his glasses too thick to see his eyes- it gave Tsumugi some bad déjà vu. "Eh?"  
"It's just, most people who stay here around this time, but don't order much, tend to be waiting for people. Especially if they're at a booth, I've noticed," he explained gently.  
"Oh. I'm not." She paused, thinking. "I mean, I think. I don't know. I can switch seats, if it's trouble-"  
No, no, it's fine. I was just wondering, since you seem to be looking at the piano a lot."  


Tsumugi quietly swallowed down some mild shame with her coffee- for previously being the 'plot twist villain no-one saw coming', she sure felt like an _introduction_ to reading comprehension.  
"No problems, though," he affirmed, the steam finally faded enough from his lenses to reveal green, tired eyes that Tsumugi didn't think to make note of, "take your time."

The waiter left Tsumugi to her thoughts, her eyes returning back to the unoccupied piano. _Maybe coming here was pointless,_ she thought to herself- nothing indicated that the blonde had any intentions to return here the next day. _That, and seeing her is a bad idea, anyway, and you_ know _that_ , her brain continued, and she reached for the icy water to shut it up.

She spent the night before with similar thoughts, lying sprawled in an unmade bed- only the dim glow of a nightlight, and tacky glow-in-the-dark stars illuminating the cluttered room around her. She used to keep things neater, not covered in scrapped outfits and scripts and the like- but the less and less time she spent in the real world, the less and less time she afforded to care. _If only I knew a maid_ , she smiled wistfully, thinking about the state of it.

The cosplayer and former ultimate, of course, had a pretty good idea why the girl was occupying her mind so much. It started in the game, after their first meeting, and the several times they'd spent time together around the Ultimate Academy. That was then, though- and even if 'Kamatsu' didn't recognize her now, there was no way she'd be able to tell her-

She heard her voice.  


Tsumugi turned instantly at the sound, and saw her standing at the counter, making an order at the counter. The same, warm yet spiking feeling rose into her chest again, when she saw her- and the feeling doubled when she turned around, giving her the same, radiant smile she had yesterday.  


"Tsumire's your name, right? I think we met yesterday?" the pianist asked, unthreateningly placing a hand on the table. Tsumire looked at the hand for too long, feeling a twitch in her own- before looking back at the smiling blonde.  
"Uh, yeah." Tsumire shifted a little in her seat, trying to maintain her composure. "And you're Kamatsu."  
"Yup! Do you mind if I sit with you?" she requested, hands clasped together, "I mean, if it's not trouble, of course."  


_IT IS_ , part of her was screaming, and Tsumire did her best to pretend not to hear it. "It's not a problem," she lied, and the blonde beamed, sliding into the seat across from her.

Tsumire felt like an impostor.

"I came to play the piano, again," Kamatsu was explaining, resting hands on the table- "but I didn't think there'd be so many people here... and I don't wanna disturb anyone, y'know?"

"Uh... yeah," Tsumire repeated, trying her best not to look at the pianist's hands anymore. She gripped her own hands around her cup tighter, hoping that the continued twitching she felt in them were just her imagination. She did carry stress balls with her, whenever intrusive thoughts were getting to her like this- _There's no way I could grab one inconspicuously, though,_ she lamented, before cursing herself again for automatically applying that thought to the pianist's hands.

There was a short, awkward silence between the two, the gentle but active bustle of the people around them filling in the pause. The pianist fiddled with nothing, looking around at the shop- Tsumire looked into her coffee, too anxious to stare at the girl for too long. Eventually, Kamatsu opened the conversation again. "So how come you're here, Tsumire? I thought you said you weren't a regular?"

"I... needed coffee," Tsumire stated plainly, not really sure what else to say- a single truth in the web of lies she was cocooning herself in.   
"I mean, I saw that," Kamatsu laughed, "I just was surprised to see you here again. You look like you hardly even moved from that spot!"

Tsumire supposed that the blonde was unaware of the anxiety she figured was statementing off of her- _Which is a good thing._ She'd remembered hearing that the girl had been written as a bit of a dork, before entering the game herself- not to mention, had experienced it herself- so she wouldn't be surprised if it had just gone past her radar. If she had one.

Typically, casts would retain some aspects of their fictional characterization, due to the temporary cognitive overhaul- while some went back to a person more like how they were before they'd drifted away into the program, before they were prodded and pulled into the broadcastable personalities as seen in the promotional material, the trailers, and eventually, the game. Before she could reply, though, the scruffy waiter came to their table, wordlessly placing a glass mug full of a frothy, green liquid. He glanced briefly at Tsumire, lens flare illuminating his glasses for a moment- before turning back at Kamatsu.

"You need anything else?"  
"No, I'm good, thank you," the pianist politely affirmed, and the waiter went away again, back to the counter.  
Tsumire watched as the girl gently picked up her cup, delicately taking a sip- cringing slightly at what she presumed was the heat.   
"What did you order?" she found herself asking, and the pianist paused with a small smile.  
"Just a matcha latte! The ones here are really good- plus, I don't drink coffee all that often, anyways."  


Tsumire gave a light hum in response, as Kamatsu slowly took sips of her drink. The latte must have invigorated her somewhat- since when she set down her cup, she returned to the conversation with a newfound frivolity.  
"So! Do you mind if I ask you about yourself, Tsumire?" she requested, eyes twinkling.  
"H-huh? Why?"  
"I don't know, curiosity?" the pianist explained, crossing her arms over chest in a pose ringing nostalgically in Tsumire's brain. "It's not often you get to talk to the mysterious girl in the cafe with the sexy aura, y'know?"  


The flush returned to Tsumire's ears- despite the gnawing guilt she felt at the prospect that she was tricking her former classmate, she tried to keep it down.  
"Is that... supposed to be a trope?" she responded carefully, sidestepping what was now the second far from subtle flirt the blonde had sent her way.  
"Maybe?" Kamatsu laughed, "but still! I'm curious, and I figure I can't be friends with someone if I don't know stuff about them, y'know?"

 _All you have to do is say you can't be friends, and walk away,_ her conscience chided, and she started to work up the nerve say it- but the enthusiastic smile of the blonde melted her resolve. "Uh, sure then? There's really not a lot interesting about myself, though..."  
"Come on, everyone's interesting in their own ways! Give yourself more credit, Tsumire!" The girl paused, appearing to think- 'If you were going to ask me anything, why didn't you think of anything beforehand?'  


"Oh! What do you do? Like, for a job? I don't think I could guess just by looking,"  
"Ah, I was an actress," she said, before realizing she'd spoke too fast, "I mean, uh... not like, a TV show kind of actress. Just stage plays and some movies."  
"Oooh, see, that's interesting!" the blonde nodded, "What kind of roles did you play?"  


She didn't like where the conversation felt headed- but she figured she could avoid the topic on her mind. "Just... minor ones. I didn't have a main role or anything, there's flashier people for that," she spoke carefully- the half-truths _might_ be ok, but anything too obvious that could link her to Tsumugi Shirogane was a red zone. 

"That's really cool!" Kamatsu smiled, pausing to drink more of her latte- Tsumire also drank some more of her coffee, in kind.   
"Do you have any outstanding roles? To you, I mean," the pianist continued, putting her hands together again.

"Um." Tsumire paused, flitting through her memory, looking for something that'd fit- "Well, I suppose this one time I played Crystal in Little Shop-" she started, realizing a familiar excitement trickling into her voice- "-and the director often kept us late, since a lot of people were new and didn't immediately get the hang of the choreographies, but it was a lot of fun regardless! The outfits were really fun, too- even if we had to change quickly in front of the others sometimes, which was pl- I mean, embarrassing, but still it was..." Tsumire slowed, remembering herself, and realized she was going off on a tangent. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to go on for so long."

The story technically wasn't a lie- but she had been in the musical when she was in her last year of middle school- back when DANGANRONPA was only on its first legs, the technology new, and the TEAM being only a small, experimental subsidiary of another company.  


Back when the most recognizable name she'd gone by and played was "Sayaka Maizono".

"No, no, don't worry! It sounds like it was a nice time," Kamatsu affirmed, "though I'm surprised to hear you were in a musical! I'm a huge fan of them, so it's a surprise to run into someone who was actually in one."  
"It is, huh..?"  
"Yeah! And hey, that means you must be a singer, too, right?"  
"I mean, I was, but, I haven't done it so long, I probably sound like a broken gramophone..." Tsumire laughed, self-deprecatingly- but Kamatsu was having none of it.  
"No, that's alright! I'm... rusty at piano myself, it doesn't mean you can't improve if you try!" the pianist exclaimed, before blinking- "Oh, maybe that was a little too loud for this place..."  


Tsumire glanced around- a few people, including the scruffy bartender, did send a few looks, but most quickly went back to what they were doing.  
"No," she said, turning back to the pianist, who was rubbing the back of her neck, just like last time, "I don't think anyone is too bothered, don't worry."  
"You think so? Alright, then," she laughed sheepishly, before resuming the same, glowy-eyed look she had before- it reminded her of the time the girl had first gotten her nails done, back in the systems of DANGANRONPA.

"So, do you mind if I ask you more questions? I know I said it before, but being an actress must be really cool!  
"Oh, it's nothing special. But I don't mind," she said- the voice of worry and doubt in the back of her mind getting buried under the near-constant smile of the blonde across from her.   
"Great! I actually thought of a few other questions, but I'm curious about the acting, so..."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow cutting off a chapter where it feels like it shouldn't end again? God I need to work on conclusions  
> The production of this chapter was more of a journey than I'd like to admit, but at least I'm updating it sooner than later asjdfhk  
> Tune in next time to find out how many questions 'Kamatsu' asked, on Dangan Ball Z


	3. Chapter 3

That night, Tsumugi gingerly plucked a sheet from the sea of papers and polyesters flooding her bedroom. Unlike the state around her, it was still uncreased and neat- spilling from a folder with similar, uniformed papers.   


' **POST GAME GUIDELINES - IN-GAME TEAM COPY - SEASON 53. NOT INTENDED FOR EXTERNAL PARTICIPANTS. IF YOU ARE NOT A EMPLOYEE OF TEAM DANGANRONPA, AND WERE INCORRECTLY ASSIGNED THIS DOCUMENT, PLEASE REPORT TO YOUR REHABILITATION MANAGER.'**

Tsumugi pursed her lips, skimming through the list on the paper she'd retrieved, eyes highlighting on a part highlighted messily in pink highlighter- the sickly nostalgic color swiped too fast, too inaccurately, too shakily across the paper.

'1.0.7: For the safety of our company entrants, _TEAM participants are recommended to avoid contact with external actors following wakeup._ If a TEAM member is to play the MASTERMIND role, _contact will only be permitted during cleared publicity events._ TEAM members will undergo therapy and real-world rehabilitation separately from other entrants.'

She didn't need to see the paper- she'd read them 37 times over the 53 seasons, and practically had them memorized at this point. She just was making herself feel worse- and she knew it.  


The conversation that she- _no, Tsumire, she was Tsumire now-_ had at the café with Kamatsu had gone on for quite some time. The pianist seemed to be a trove of questions, building on top of each other like a questionnaire Jenga tower- Tsumire wondered if the questions arouse out of suspicion, but the blonde smiled and laughed at the actress's careful, calculated responses with a tone of genuinity she'd only previously seen in the games- one Tsumire couldn't help but be envious of, if not a little terrified. Eventually, after a long series of questions, the two eventually left the café together, splitting off to continue their respective days.

Kamatsu had asked her if she'd be back to the café again tomorrow.

It wasn't lost on Tsumugi how much of a crush she had on her old classmate. On the opposite, she was surprised on how quickly it'd come on, after their first meeting in the overgrown hallway- especially with the increasingly bold statements the key-clad girl made with her right there. She wasn't sure if the girl felt the same, so she kept herself in the defined background role she'd been instructed to maintain- yet the several times the girl had approached her, toting glasses cases and sewing kits to gift in the typical, simulation-influenced protagonist standard, she wondered if she felt similarly, too.

Well, 'had'.  


Tsumugi might have been liked by Kaede. Tsumire seemed to be liked by Kamatsu. But there was no way Tsumugi would ever be loved by Kamatsu.  


She didn't have a chance.  
Yet, the cosplayer, the actress, felt...  
Tsumugi sniffled, checking the time on her alarm clock. She'd need to wake up earlier if she wanted to see the pianist again tomorrow.

\----

She met with her the next day. And then, the day after that. And again, and again, and again, for the next week.  
Each time, Tsumugi reflected on what she was doing was- HAD to- be wrong.  
Each time, Kamatsu smiled that same, luminous smile at her.  
And while Tsumugi shriveled in fear of rejection, Tsumire smiled shyly back.  
\----

While she was lying in the bath, Tsumugi thought about the time she was Sayaka.   


There wasn't any 'team or external' in the lengthy documents she had today, the patch to be self-aware in the fully fictionalized world- they were simply 17 acquaintances- teenage to young adult actors and actresses, willing to experiment with revolutionary technology to act a fully immersed experience in a fictionalized, deadly world.   


'Sayaka', the 14-year-old actress, scouted from her school in a theater performance, didn't really know what was exactly in store for her as she lowered onto the less than comfortable, coffin-like sleep caskets that were the old models for entering the protocol- she just figured she would do her best to win it. It was described to her as a 'partially scripted, improv-reliant, competitive mystery performance, with an 'elimination system' similar to ones on game shows.' She wasn't too sure on all the details, and heavy precautions were being taken with the tech, from what she'd gathered- but she nevertheless wanted to be part of it. "Immersed, augmented reality would be the new future of television," the company men explained to her and mom, "and your daughter could be the face of a revolutionary new form of entertainment!" Plus, the fixed pay offered for participating was a hefty, convincing sum.

And so, 'Sayaka Maizono' entered the fictional world.

Tsumugi ran wet, sudsy fingers across her stomach- the one part that still reminded her of her final moments in Trigger Happy Havoc. She'd arose from the program, body both locked up and sedentary from the simulation casket, but tense and struggling from what, to her, had been only a recent end- pounding on the lid like a wild animal.

When she was called for a role in season 2, the fading 'Sayaka' politely, shakily, declined. Old footage was used for the third season, when another call for a cameo was met with another, tentative decline.

When Season 4 was cast, however, a familiar, blue-haired teen could be found among the new roster.  
\----  


Tsumire and Kamatsu sat cozily together in their booth- it had unintentionally become their go-to spot, as newfound regulars of the shop. Even the barista, busied and scruffy as he was, had started to put a reservation sign at their table, even when there wasn't anyone else in the cafe- Tsumire flusteredly told him he didn't have to, as Kamatsu laughed fully in the empty establishment. 

She'd just finished playing the piano, and she was getting better- implanted years of refinement with the keys slowly developing back into the stiffer joints and muscles of the 'real' pianist. Not that she hadn't had much experience with instruments- in the audition tapes, she herself listed that she played the flute- though the blonde had also self-deprecatingly called it 'lame for a talent'.

Now, after compliments for the music had come from Tsumire and others, the two were in a gentle silence- sun beams reaching their table, illuminating the steam coming off of Tsumire and Kamatsu's drinks. As she slipped into her usual trance, the once-bluenette took the time she usually did to observe her accomplice's outfit- eyes quietly but keenly flitting over what was today's cream-color turtleneck, and unwrinkled parka, sitting folded on the seat next to her. There was always one detail her eyes always lit on, after sheepishly looking into her purplish-brown eyes- a small, hair-matching pin holding down an otherwise defining part of the false protagonist. _Probably to stand out less, which... wasn't too unfamiliar._

"Hey, Tsumire?"  


The actress blinked, pulled out of her trance, eyes ripping back from the pin back to the same, expectant eyes- "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to, um, ah."  
"Huh? What are you talking about?"  


_Oh. She didn't notice._ Tsumire paused. "Oh, uh, nothing, sorry," she apologized again, "what's going on?"

Kamatsu's eyebrows were raised breifly- but she gave a small laugh and smile, which sent straight into her tablemate's cheeks. "Well, I was wondering... is anything up? You're usually pretty quiet, but you seem... moreso?"  


"Am I?" Nervous sweat on command wasn't something she could do anymore- but Tsumire could still feel herself tensing a bit at the observation. "I mean, I am pretty quiet, I don't feel like I am moreso than usual..."  
"You don't think so? I don't know, it's kind of been on my mind for a little bit... is there anything on your mind?"  
"N-nothing in particular. I mean, ok, maybe one thing, but it's not really impo-"  
"Oh! There is something! What is it?!"  
"Ah.... really, it's nothing. If it was more important, I m-"  
"Noo! What is it? You brought it up, you have to talk about it! You wouldn't have said it if you didn't want to talk about it."  
Tsumire wrung her hands, squirming under the other's warm, yet expectant gaze. _Are my hands always this sweaty?_ she thought, before dismissing it as a comical thought. "I mean... ok, but it's embarrassing."

"It's ok!" Kamatsu reassured, clasping her cup and leaning forwards. "I've seen and heard probably worse. Er... not to imply it's something super bad," smiling ruefully at Tsumire's blanched reaction.  
"Uh, ok. Well. How do I word this..." It was something that she was curious about- but she had to be careful not to blurt out the wrong thing, as more than a few curious thoughts were brewing in her mind, staring into those deep... _cute..._ eyes.

"Sorry if this is weird, but, why did you..." she swallowed, heart palpitating over what felt like it should be an easy question, "I mean, why did you come talk to me in the first place? Like, uh, not now, but when we... met?" She paused again, before quickly adding, "I don't really think I stand out or anything special, so it's been on my mind for a while. Er, sorry."  


"I thought I told you to stop apologizing!" Kamatsu quickly laughed, sending her back into a smaller, quieter apology- before taking a moment to ponder the question. After some deliberation, she shrugged. "I don't really know. I mean, other than I think that you look super pretty?" she giggled teasingly, sending Tsumire further into flushed embarrassment. "Well, there was that, but, I guess also... I don't know, you remind me of an old friend."   


"Friend?" Tsumire thought out loud, echoing the blonde- though before she could react to her own, big mouth, Kamatsu was nodding.  


"Yeah! She was kind of a nerd, and quiet, like you- but super passionate about things if you got her talking!" The blonde took a drink, reminiscing. "I didn't really know her for long, and I haven't really talked to her in ages. But I think we were pretty good friends."  


And in that moment, Tsumire was gone. It was just Tsumugi at a booth, in an infinite dark void. Blue-hair spilling over the chair and into the air around her, string and brushes and wigs erupting like a cosplay volcano around her. For that brief, single moment, the mask slipped.

Kaede, radiating into the space as the sun in the seat across from her, lost in thought, managed to still give her that same, sunny smile over the drink she'd taken another sip from.  


A part of Tsumugi's mind, for what felt like the billionth time, recalled a promise to go out to cafes together. 

"She sounds... she sounds like she was an interesting person," someone- lost in the spill of brown and blue hair- unevenly responded.

\----  


The suggestion came during one of the first meetings on the new season, only shortly after production of 52 had reached its conclusion. Evening sunlight was coming in through the loose blinds of the office windows, yet the room still managed to have a chaffing, dim atmosphere- not helped by the easily-recognized black-and-white colored table. 

A recognizable blue-haired lady was seated on the white side, next to a recently iconic grass-green teen. They both stuck out among the drab, uncolorful suits and pencil skirts of the corporate TEAM members, sitting in a pensive silence as ideas were discussed back and forth.

The bluenette, with her own senior employee badge, watched her similar off-coloured haired acquaintance play with his guest lanyard. The two were a bit of a pair- both in the show they'd just left, and here, in this monochrome office. Though his disposition didn't seem cold, he didn't make eye contact with her.  


She was used to it.

The meeting was on the characters- the reason the two were present in the first place. She wasn't paying the most attention to the conversation- she'd act, no matter what she was given at this point- but a particular line had perked her ears.  


"Why not give the characters their own actor's names?"

The room pondered for a second- the man at the head of the table, requested more information.  


"A major plot point is to tie it into the real world, correct? Wouldn't it feel more real if the characters were more closely based on the actors?"

"There's no way we could write that. If the writing of the characters was selected after we choose the actors, we'd be horribly behind schedule."

"You don't need to write them afterwards- the characterization process will continue as it already is. I suggest more simply creating their virtual designs as close to how they look in reality as possible. That, and keep the names the same."

There was a pause as the room considered it. The head man paused, looking out into the orange glow from the windows- before looking over to the bright-haired duo.  
"Tsumugi. Rantaro. Do either of you have any thoughts?"

Rantaro shrugged. "I don't have the most of an opinion. I mean, unless it was a breach of any confidentiality? Is it?"  


"Most actors take credit for their roles publicly regardless. Well, most," another member added, nodding directly to Tsumugi herself.  


Tsumugi, who had been in a trance, pondering, ignored the gesture and looked directly to the head of the table.   


"I think it's a good idea. It would be an interesting twist for the series, I think. I mean, I'm just kind of another actor, too, Mr. Kodaka. The man nodded, and the room fell again into a brief silence- before the man spoke again.   


"We'll see about that idea, then."  


She wish she'd thought more about the repercussions of her agreement. Yet, as she was handed the example script for her- for the fictionalized Tsumugi Shirogane, eyes lighting on the familiar stamp of the mastermind role- she didn't have the time to worry about it.  


Danganronpa was on a tight schedule, and she was just another plain actress itching to get back into the fictional world she was so fond of.

\----

The cool breeze seemed to push Tsumire into the café as she arrived one day, the door closing hard behind her as she stepped in. She shot an apologetic glance around the room, but the tables were all devoid of patrons this morning- only the barista, present and scruffy as ever, was there to give her a glance. She returned him a quick wave as she made her way towards the back, where the only other person was seated, tinkling away at the piano. At the sound of her approaching footsteps, Kamatsu turned and waved hello.

"Hi. Are you going to play again?"

"Actually, I was waiting for you! Here, take a seat." Kamatsu patted the free space on the bench.

"Oh?" Tsumire stood there silently, trying to register what she'd been asked. "Wait, why? What?"

Kamatsu giggled at her density. "I'm inviting you to sit next to me. I'll tell you why if you do!"

"Oh. Oh, ok." Tsumire, feeling embarrassed, walked around and rested on the cushion. Her back was sensed up straight- she hadn't ever been this close to the pianist, usually reserving her distance across the table.

"So, uh, what's... going on?"

"I want to try playing a piano duet with you!"

"Wait, whaat? I... don't really know how to play piano."

"It's ok! I can teach you a little. Plus, we can play a simple song to start with. Don't worry! I've taught other people before." Kamatsu quickly ran her through general positioning and technique, before showing her the song.

"So, have you ever heard of a tune called 'Heart and Soul'?"

"Uh... I don't think so? Not by name."

"Here, let me just..." Kamatsu quickly played out the first parts of the tune.

"Oh! Wait, I think I-" Tsumire paused, the pianist stopping the playing, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Don't apologiiiize! It's all good." Kamatsu began to reach her hand towards her, sending a familiar, yearning twitch into the other's- but then she stopped herself. "So you recognize it?"

"Yeah, from a video I watched a long time ago. I didn't know its name."

"Neat! I'm glad you could recognize it, though. Because *you're* going to play the melody!"

"Uh, wait, you wouldn't?"

"I mean, maybe, but you only need one hand to play this. The other part needs two hands, and I don't know how dexterous you are, so..."

"Oh, I see." Tsumire was flush with unsurity- but she gave a nod. "Ok. I'll do it."

"Great!" Kamatsu smiled, before reaching over across the piano- brushing against Tsumire, who seemed to tense at the contact, unnoticed by the blonde- and placing her hands on the keys.

"Ok, so you it play like this..."

\----

The first attempt didn't go very well. Tsumire's hands were clumsy and her actions were distracted- wrong keys were pressed, the tempo was off, and the brunette was slowly becoming an embarrassed mess. Kamatsu, however, didn't grow impatient or scolding at her piano partner's comparatively slower pace- she encouraged her to keep playing. After a few attempts- once interrupted by the tender, checking to see if they had any orders- the blonde and brunette were slowly able to more evenly get out the tune. Tsumire found herself getting comfortable as she got better at the tune- less conscious about the music and how to play, and the proximity to the one she had such complicated feelings about, and happier at how the tune was coming out clearer and the tune working well. After the last notes were finished, the tune played with few mistakes and consistent tempo, the pianist beamed in pride.

"That was so good!" she exclaimed, rising from the bench, clapping- Tsumire laughed and smiled back, embarrassed but proud. Even at the counter, busy preparing the drinks ordered by the pair, the bartender found a time to clap for them.

Kamatsu returned to the bench, smiling. "You really haven't played piano before?" Tsumire shook her head no, keeping a small smile.

"I mean, I've touched the keys a few times when I was younger, but I didn't, you know, play."

"Really? Because by the way you played, it's like you had had some experience with it before!" She put a hand on the woman's arm, smiling happily; before saying something that the actress wasn't prepared to hear.

"That was really good, Tsumugi."

It was like the sound of a hammer breaking glass. The cosplayer's elation at their bonding and success with the song snuffed out in an instant- the anxiety and paranoia from the last few weeks quickly rising up icy and spiky in her chest. The pianist must have realized the expression on her acquaintance's face- since she quickly rushed to correct herself.

"Ah, I didn't mean that! I mean, call you that! That was just the name of... well..." The pianist faltered, and the cosplayer tensely turned away from her, looking down at her hands on the keys. "Well..."

Tsumugi couldn't see her face anymore- it felt like static was filling her vision, as she glared shamefully into her hands. Her face was getting hot, and she could feel trembles coming on.

"So you knew?" she managed to gasp out, as she grabbed and grabbed at her fingers and skin.

After a short pause, the girl next to her gave a slight huff.

"...Yeah. For a while now, I suspected, at least, but..."

"Since when?"

"I think... since the second time we met here. You felt really familiar, and I wasn't completely sure- and then, that one time, when I brought up the thing about my old friend- there was just something in your expression that told me everything."

Tears were starting to well in Tsumugi's eyes. She'd imagined this happening so, so many times- but as long as the mask, the feeble charade, everything she'd done to hide- she thought she'd be able to get by, to avoid it. Now, the rejection, the yelling, the exposure and pulled hair and hate- everything she'd pictured and expected and feared was coming fresh into her mind, amplified by the aura of the pianist directly besides her. She couldn't even think straight anymore. All she could do was look at her hands-

"Hey..."

Another hand slipped into hers and squeezed it- but not the angry, clawing, cruel hand she was expecting. The touch was warm, soft, and comforting- instead of ripping her out of her dark static and into the open air, it shone like a lantern, gently holding her shaking palm with a strange, unfamiliar, but warm touch.

Tsumugi looked up.

Kaede was turned right to her- she had shuffled closer, and was only a little ways away from bumping shoulders with the actress-cosplayer. Her face was knit in a comforting, concerned look- no trace of the disappointed, cold look she was expecting.

"Are you... scared of me? You're crying." Tsumugi didn't know how to respond- she could only focus on her own eyes, now leaking out freely, and Kaede's- the wide, calm eyes looking deep into her own.

"That's a yes, then, huh..? Is it because of the show?"

"I..." Tsumugi started, dissolving into a bit of a whimper. "I just... I figured everyone hated me because of what I was- of who I was, and what I did. Everyone was..." she stopped to wipe some tears, ineffectually- "I mean, what with the people online and the controversy around the ending and how everyone reacted at the end, I just... figured everyone hated me."

She looked away again, thinking she talked too long, that it was too much, that Kaede was hugging her- _Kaede was hugging her?_

The cosplayer felt the arms pulling her in as she looked over, before finding herself pulled in by the pianist. Warmth and comfort spilled into the shaky woman through the sweater of her hugger - the gesture surprised her out of her heightened anxiety, for at least a moment.

"Everything's okay," Kaede soothed, reaching up to gently pet her dyed-brown hair. "I don't hate you."

"But... why? You have to know what happened in the show, and what I did to Rantaro, and Shuichi, and you, and-"

"Yeah, I watched the show. But you aren't Tsumugi Shirogane from the show, are you? I mean," Kaede pulled away, taking in the cosplayer's hands in her own again, "I've seen you for the last few weeks! You clearly aren't the kind of person you had to play in the show."

The sentences were too sweet to be true- this had to be some kind of ruse, or fantasy, or something, Tsumugi's brain 'reasoned', completely aware that she was living in the present just as much as she was before.

"But... that's not any reason to believe in me..."

Kaede laughed at the sentiment- though she knew she was laughing at her, she didn't feel any malice behind it.

"But that's just the thing with 'the show', right? Remember what Kaito said? I don't 'need' a reason to choose to believe in you, I just... well, do!" Kaede gave Tsumugi's fingers a reassuring squeeze.

"And it's very obvious to me that you were worth believing in."

"Kaede..." Tsumugi was taken aback. The tears felt like they were coming in stronger than before- but not out of the fear and sadness she was.

"Good old Kaito Momota," she managed, before it finally became all too much. Slowly, gently, Tsumugi allowed herself to cry- here, in front of the person she still secretly crushed on, and had felt so strongly and guilty for; and in return, Kaede pulled her in close again.

\----

It felt like an age to Tsumugi, teary face pressed into the shoulder of her old, reconciled friend, before the interruption finally came. An unsure cough caused Kaede to pull up, and Tsumugi looked up to see the barista, standing back from the piano. He was wearing a seemingly amused expression under his scruff and steamy glasses, cups containing their typical drinks in both his hands.

"Ah, sorry-" Tsumugi started, detaching from Kaede and wiping her eyes, "I didn't mean to cause a scene-"

"Wait, Tsumugi, everything's ok!" Kaede interrupted, before looking back to the tender. "I told her I knew."

"Is that right?" The tender chuckled, and the cosplayer was left looking back and forth between the two.

"Wait, what's going on?"

"Oh, you didn't notice?" Kaede giggled. "You're kinda oblivious. But also kinda cute," she added, and Tsumugi was too bemused to make sense of the added flirt.

"I guess it has been a bit- I wasn't really making it obvious, so I think it's fair and all," the tender added, and he removed his glasses, looking over at Tsumugi. "Well, do I look familiar to you?"

Tsumugi squinted through her glasses- and all too quickly, it came to her.

"...Rantaro?"

"You aren't the only one who decided to dye their hair," Rantaro confirmed, scratching at his scruffy, grown-out hair again.

"Why did you think that Kaede had came here in the first place? Actually, no- who did you think I was?"

Tsumugi managed out a laugh, amidst her messy, tear-lined face. "I thought you were just an e-boy."

"Come on now, that's no way to speak to an old friend, is it?" The three laughed together- an unexpected triplet, Tsumugi thought, especially with all that had happened in Danganronpa and the roles they'd played.

But this wasn't Danganronpa.

She wasn't a villain anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could you imagine that it took me more than a few sit-downs over the course of over a month to finish this chapter? Cause hoo boy this took some time and procrastination and wanting to finish this before the end of Valentine's  
> Thank you all to those have been interested in this story since I started! It made me really happy to know people were into what I was writing, and I do hope to maybe add more to this universe/story in a new fic :3  
> For now, though, I thank yeee for thy patience and thy read and I hope you have a lovely day <3


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